Friday DISNEY Dweebing
IMAGINEERING A WHOLE NEW WORLD IN HONG KONG
Not long ago, it was nothing but a stretch of sand and landfill in Penny's Bay.
In January 2003, two-and-a-half years of feverish construction commenced.
And this week sees the debut of the world's newest outpost of magic.
Modeled closely on Walt Disney's original Disneyland park but graced with unique features, Hong Kong Disneyland is poised to open -- and the Imagineers who created it couldn't be more excited.
The Insider spoke to Tim Delaney, Walt Disney Imagineering vice president and executive designer, who guided the design of Hong Kong Disneyland's Tomorrowland. He told us what it was like creating the Park, and about what's new and unique to Hong Kong Disneyland.
"I've been in Hong Kong for a total of about eight months," says Tim. "The weather was certainly a challenge - with the monsoon seasons, horizontal wind, and instant downpours".
Guests take a whirl in Hong Kong.
"We spent most days - and often nights - on site, overseeing the construction, testing the new effects in Space Mountain, and working with the artist on the 52 planetary globes to be sure the high-tech paint provided just the right effect."
Sorcerer Mickey welcomes Guests to Fantasyland
Planetary globes?
It should be clear that Hong Kong's Tomorrowland, and indeed the whole Park, is not a carbon copy of other Disneyland-style Parks around the globe.
In fact, much care was taken to make Hong Kong Disneyland a unique destination that blends beautifully into its surroundings and expresses the culture of Hong Kong, as well as the magic of Disney. Hong Kong Disneyland mixes classic attractions like the Jungle River Cruise and the Mad Hatter Tea Cups with features you won't find anywhere else - like a lush Fantasy Gardens that gives Guests a chance to meet Disney Characters, and a virtual koi pond in the Hong Kong Disneyland Hotel's flagship restaurant, the Golden Lotus.
Disneyland Hotel also sports a hedge maze formed in the shape of a certain famous big-eared profile.
Envisioning Tomorrowland posed a special challenge, according to Tim.
"We had to create a 'land of tomorrow' right across the bay from the ultimate 'city of the future.' We said to ourselves, 'how do we build tomorrow in the real Tomorrowland of Hong Kong?'" "We chose to create a Tomorrowland that is 'other-worldly,' with a spaceport and planetary theme. In the context of the high-tech environment of Hong Kong, this made the most sense," Tim explains.
"The entire land is themed as a spaceport, or launching point for interplanetary adventures. We've applied an 'otherworldly' overlay to everything from the undulating roof tiles on the buildings and space-themed furniture and fixtures, to the alien-looking plant specimens that landscape the area. EDITOR’S NOTE: OOOO….MUST GO SEE, MUST GO SEE…..
"Even the color choices were specifically designed to add to the atmosphere -- in Hong Kong, the sky is often rather gray, so we decided to offset that and brighten things up by using a lot of color," Tim tells us. "The only thing that's white is Space Mountain, which is designed to look like the original, but the colors play off of that white to really make it stand out."
Main Street is ready for business
Hong Kong Disneyland has unique features, but it's also very much in the spirit of Disneyland.
Hong Kong Disneyland's Sleeping Beauty Castle is modeled closely on Sleeping Beauty Castle at Disneyland park. From Main Street to Fantasyland, Guests will find many of the sights that are familiar landmarks of Disneyland park. And the intimate scale of the Park is very reminiscent of Disneyland. EDITOR’S NOTE: 'INTIMATE'. THAT’S DISNEY-SPEAK FOR ‘THEY HAD NO LAND AND SO IT’S REALLY REALLY CRAMPED AND SMALL’.
Although the Park is just opening, plans are already being made to expand it.
"The first expansion to the Park will be the classic attraction that has become a rite-of-passage for so many young people - Autopia," Tim tells us. "This is Autopia with a twist, however - the cars are electric." That makes this the smoothest, easiest-to-drive version of the classic attraction ever.
Hong Kong Disneyland, it's clear, will always grow, change, and improve. It will never be finished - just as Walt Disney vowed for his original dream Park, Disneyland. As Walt put it, "Disneyland will never be completed. It will continue to grow as long as there is imagination left in the world." EDITOR’S NOTE: AND SUCKERS LIKE ME TO HELP PAY FOR IT. It's a challenge that today's Imagineers are eager to meet - but first they have a grand-opening party to attend.
What was the origin of "It's a Small World" in Disneyland? Was that Walt's idea?
Harold Q., Boise, ID
Walt had long had a wish to create an attraction about the children of the world, so when Pepsi-Cola requested Disney's help in designing their New York World's Fair pavilion as a salute to children and UNICEF, the United Nations Children's Fund, Walt set his Imagineers to work on the project and they came up with one of the most popular Disney attractions of all time.
EDITOR’S NOTE: INSERT EVIL LAUGHTER…THE SONG IS NOW PLAYING OVER AND OVER IN YOUR HEAD, ISN’T IT? (ACCOMPANIED BY THE ODD CLICKING NOISE THE ANIMATRONIC CREEPY CHILDREN MAKE AS THE BOATS GO BY THEM ON THE RIDE….BWAHAHAHAHA).
Not long ago, it was nothing but a stretch of sand and landfill in Penny's Bay.
In January 2003, two-and-a-half years of feverish construction commenced.
And this week sees the debut of the world's newest outpost of magic.
Modeled closely on Walt Disney's original Disneyland park but graced with unique features, Hong Kong Disneyland is poised to open -- and the Imagineers who created it couldn't be more excited.
The Insider spoke to Tim Delaney, Walt Disney Imagineering vice president and executive designer, who guided the design of Hong Kong Disneyland's Tomorrowland. He told us what it was like creating the Park, and about what's new and unique to Hong Kong Disneyland.
"I've been in Hong Kong for a total of about eight months," says Tim. "The weather was certainly a challenge - with the monsoon seasons, horizontal wind, and instant downpours".
Guests take a whirl in Hong Kong.
"We spent most days - and often nights - on site, overseeing the construction, testing the new effects in Space Mountain, and working with the artist on the 52 planetary globes to be sure the high-tech paint provided just the right effect."
Sorcerer Mickey welcomes Guests to Fantasyland
Planetary globes?
It should be clear that Hong Kong's Tomorrowland, and indeed the whole Park, is not a carbon copy of other Disneyland-style Parks around the globe.
In fact, much care was taken to make Hong Kong Disneyland a unique destination that blends beautifully into its surroundings and expresses the culture of Hong Kong, as well as the magic of Disney. Hong Kong Disneyland mixes classic attractions like the Jungle River Cruise and the Mad Hatter Tea Cups with features you won't find anywhere else - like a lush Fantasy Gardens that gives Guests a chance to meet Disney Characters, and a virtual koi pond in the Hong Kong Disneyland Hotel's flagship restaurant, the Golden Lotus.
Disneyland Hotel also sports a hedge maze formed in the shape of a certain famous big-eared profile.
Envisioning Tomorrowland posed a special challenge, according to Tim.
"We had to create a 'land of tomorrow' right across the bay from the ultimate 'city of the future.' We said to ourselves, 'how do we build tomorrow in the real Tomorrowland of Hong Kong?'" "We chose to create a Tomorrowland that is 'other-worldly,' with a spaceport and planetary theme. In the context of the high-tech environment of Hong Kong, this made the most sense," Tim explains.
"The entire land is themed as a spaceport, or launching point for interplanetary adventures. We've applied an 'otherworldly' overlay to everything from the undulating roof tiles on the buildings and space-themed furniture and fixtures, to the alien-looking plant specimens that landscape the area. EDITOR’S NOTE: OOOO….MUST GO SEE, MUST GO SEE…..
"Even the color choices were specifically designed to add to the atmosphere -- in Hong Kong, the sky is often rather gray, so we decided to offset that and brighten things up by using a lot of color," Tim tells us. "The only thing that's white is Space Mountain, which is designed to look like the original, but the colors play off of that white to really make it stand out."
Main Street is ready for business
Hong Kong Disneyland has unique features, but it's also very much in the spirit of Disneyland.
Hong Kong Disneyland's Sleeping Beauty Castle is modeled closely on Sleeping Beauty Castle at Disneyland park. From Main Street to Fantasyland, Guests will find many of the sights that are familiar landmarks of Disneyland park. And the intimate scale of the Park is very reminiscent of Disneyland. EDITOR’S NOTE: 'INTIMATE'. THAT’S DISNEY-SPEAK FOR ‘THEY HAD NO LAND AND SO IT’S REALLY REALLY CRAMPED AND SMALL’.
Although the Park is just opening, plans are already being made to expand it.
"The first expansion to the Park will be the classic attraction that has become a rite-of-passage for so many young people - Autopia," Tim tells us. "This is Autopia with a twist, however - the cars are electric." That makes this the smoothest, easiest-to-drive version of the classic attraction ever.
Hong Kong Disneyland, it's clear, will always grow, change, and improve. It will never be finished - just as Walt Disney vowed for his original dream Park, Disneyland. As Walt put it, "Disneyland will never be completed. It will continue to grow as long as there is imagination left in the world." EDITOR’S NOTE: AND SUCKERS LIKE ME TO HELP PAY FOR IT. It's a challenge that today's Imagineers are eager to meet - but first they have a grand-opening party to attend.
What was the origin of "It's a Small World" in Disneyland? Was that Walt's idea?
Harold Q., Boise, ID
Walt had long had a wish to create an attraction about the children of the world, so when Pepsi-Cola requested Disney's help in designing their New York World's Fair pavilion as a salute to children and UNICEF, the United Nations Children's Fund, Walt set his Imagineers to work on the project and they came up with one of the most popular Disney attractions of all time.
EDITOR’S NOTE: INSERT EVIL LAUGHTER…THE SONG IS NOW PLAYING OVER AND OVER IN YOUR HEAD, ISN’T IT? (ACCOMPANIED BY THE ODD CLICKING NOISE THE ANIMATRONIC CREEPY CHILDREN MAKE AS THE BOATS GO BY THEM ON THE RIDE….BWAHAHAHAHA).
posted by QOTD (the Queen of the Dweebs) at 11:35 AM
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